Development and Pilot Testing of a Context-Relevant Safe Anesthesia Checklist for Cesarean Delivery in East Africa.

BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality rate in developing countries is 20 times higher than in developed countries. Detailed reports surrounding maternal deaths have noted an association between substandard management during emergency events and death. In parallel with these findings, there is increasing evidence for cognitive aids as a means to prevent errors during perioperative crises. However, previously published findings are not directly applicable to cesarean delivery in low-income settings. Our hypothesis was that the use of obstetric anesthesia checklists in the management of high-fidelity simulated obstetrical emergency scenarios would improve adherence to best practice guidelines in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: Accordingly, with input from East African health care professionals, we created a context-relevant obstetric anesthesia checklist for cesarean delivery. Second, clinical observations were performed to assess in a real-world setting. Third, a pilot testing of the cognitive aid was undertaken. RESULTS: Clinical observation data highlighted significant deficiencies in the management of obstetric emergencies. The use of the cesarean delivery checklist during simulations of peripartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia showed significant improvement in the percentage of completed actions (pretraining 23% ± 6% for preeclampsia and 22% ± 13% for peripartum hemorrhage, posttraining 75% ± 9% for preeclampsia, and 69% ± 9% for peripartum hemorrhage [P < .0001, both scenarios; data as mean ± standard deviation]). CONCLUSIONS: We developed, evaluated, and begun implementation of a context-relevant checklist for the management of obstetric crisis in low- and middle-income countries. We demonstrated not only the need for this tool in a real-world setting but also confirmed its potential efficacy through a pilot simulation study.

Simulation curriculum can improve medical student assessment and management of acute coronary syndrome during a clinical practice exam.

BACKGROUND: It has been noted that increased focus on learning acute care skills is needed in undergraduate medical curricula. This study investigated whether a simulation-based curriculum improved a senior medical student's ability to manage acute coronary syndrome as measured during a clinical performance examination (CPX). The authors hypothesized that simulation training would improve overall performance when compared with targeted didactics or historical controls. METHODS: All 4th-year medical students (n = 291) over 2 years at the authors' institution were included in this study. In the 3rd year of medical school, the "control" group received no intervention, the "didactic" group received a targeted didactic curriculum, and the "simulation" group participated in small group simulation training and the didactic curriculum. For intergroup comparison on the CPX, the authors calculated the percentage of correct actions completed by the student. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation with significance defined as P < 0.05. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in overall performance with simulation versus both didactics and control (P < 0.001). Performance on the physical examination component was significantly better in simulation versus both didactics and control, as was for diagnosis: simulation versus both didactics and control (P < 0.02 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Simulation training had a modest impact on overall CPX performance in the management of a simulated acute coronary syndrome. Additional studies are needed to evaluate how to further improve curricula regarding unstable patients.

Are fourth-year medical students as prepared to manage unstable patients as they are to manage stable patients?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the fourth-year medical student's assessment and management of an unstable patient. METHOD: The authors compared the performance of fourth-year medical students in a clinical performance examination (CPX) across a spectrum of simulated stable conditions as compared with a case of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). All fourth-year medical students at the Medical University of South Carolina participated in an eight-station CPX. Student performance was graded as the percentage of correct steps performed according to checklists developed through a modified Delphi technique. Repeated analysis of variance was performed to compare performance on different stations. Data are reported as mean (standard deviation), and P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 143 fourth-year medical students participated in the study. The percentage of correct actions performed in the STEMI station was 47.8 (9.5), which was significantly lower than all other stations (P < .001). There was no difference in overall performance between any of the other stable encounters. Students performed significantly worse in the physical and management/treatment components of the STEMI station, as compared with history, differential diagnosis, labs/tests, and diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Fourth-year medical students were less prepared to manage a simulated STEMI case compared with a range of nonacute conditions. Given the prevalence of coronary artery disease and the necessity of interns to be equipped to handle emergent situations, this deficiency should be addressed in undergraduate medical curricula.